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V.P.Ravichandran v. State Chief Information Commissioner

Right to Information Act, 2005 – Copies of charge sheet

Madras HC8 Oct 2025WP/34731/2025

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Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

RTI Act 2005 – entitlement to copies of charge sheet – final report taken on file becomes property of the Court – applicant directed to seek copies from the criminal Court – Saurav Das v. Union of India (SC) relied on – Tamil Nadu Information Commission order dated 23.04.2024 in SA 6328/SCIC/2021 – Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption – Special C.C.No.1 of 2025, Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi – writ petition disposed, no costs.

What did the court decide?

Writ petition disposed with the above directions: petitioner held not entitled to copies of the charge sheet under the Right to Information Act; liberty granted to move the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi for copies, the grant being left to that Court's discretion; no costs. ¶34

V.P.Ravichandran Vs State Chief Information… — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner is entitled to copies of the charge sheet and documents filed along with it under the Right to Information Act, 2005. +1 more

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Court's answer

Relying on the Supreme Court's judgment in Saurav Das v. Union of India (paragraph No.6), the petitioner is not entitled to copies of the charge sheet and documents filed along with the same under the Right to Information Act.

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Ratio / Principle

A final report, when presented and taken on file by the Court, becomes the property of the Court; a person seeking copies of the charge sheet and documents filed therewith must move the appropriate criminal Court.

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Key takeaways

Liberty is granted to the petitioner to move the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi for copies of the charge sheet and documents; it is left to the discretion of that Court to give the copies sought.ratio¶33

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Right to Information Act, 2005 – Copies of charge sheet – Petitioner sought quashing of State Information Commission order dated 23.04.2024 in SA 6328/SCIC/2021 and direction to the Public Information Officer, DVAC to furnish information sought by petition dated 01.01.2021 – Charge sheet taken on file by the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi in Special C.C.No.1 of 2025 – Held, relying on Saurav Das v. Union of India (Supreme Court, paragraph No.6), that the petitioner is not entitled to copies of the charge sheet and documents filed along with it under the RTI Act – A final report, when presented and taken on file, becomes the property of the Court – Liberty granted to the petitioner to move the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi for copies, the grant being left to that Court's discretion – Writ petition disposed; no costs.

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W.P.No.34731 of 2025

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

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DATED: 08.10.2025

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CORAM :

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V. LAKSHMINARAYANAN

W.P.No.34731 of 2025

V.P.Ravichandran

.. Petitioner

1.State Chief Information Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Information Commission, No:19, Government Farm Village, Panepet, Nandanam,

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Chennai-600 035.

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2.The Deputy Director Cum Appellate Authority Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption, 293 MKN Road, Alandur,

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Chennai-600 016.

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3.Public Information Officer cum Superintendent of Police, Central Zone, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption 92, Radhakrishnan Salai, V.G.P. Nagar,

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Villupuram – 605 401.

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.. Respondents

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Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for the records relating to the order dated 23.04.2024 in SA 6328/SCIC/2021 passed by the 1^st Respondent, Quash the same and consequently direct the 3^rd

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.34731 of 2025

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respondent to furnish the information sought by the petitioner under Right to Information Act, 2005 by his petition dated 01.01.2021.

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For Petitioner : Mr.N.Ponraj

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For Respondents : Mr.R.Kishore Kumar, (for R2 & R3) Government Advocate (Crl.Side)

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O R D E R

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The petitioner seeks to quash the order of the State Information Commission dated 23.04.2024 and also for a direction to the Public Information Officer, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Chennai to give the copies/information. The petitioner has invoked the provisions of the Right to Information Act. Earlier I had given direction to the 3^rd respondent to re-present the final report and get the case numbered. Mr.Kishore Kumar, learned Government Advocate had sought time for the same.

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2.Today, when the matter was called, Mr.Kishore Kumar represents that the charge sheet has been taken on file by the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi in Special C.C.No.1 of 2025. The learned Judge has fixed the next date of hearing on 30.10.2025. This is in compliance with the order passed by the Court on 15.09.2025.

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3.Insofar as the demand of the petitioner that he is entitled to have

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2/5

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.34731 of 2025

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copies of the charge sheet under the Right to Information Act, all that I

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have to do is to refer to the judgment of the Supreme Court in Saurav Das v. Union of India, WP.(Civil).No.1126 of 2022 dated 20.01.2023 (paragraph No.6) and state that the petitioner is not entitled for copies of the charge sheet and documents filed along with the same.

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4.A final report when presented and taken on file by the Court becomes the property of the Court. In case, the petitioner wants copies of the charge sheet and the documents filed there with, he has to move the appropriate criminal Court and seeks for the copies thereof. Accordingly, liberty is granted to the petitioner to move the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi and seeks for the copies. It is left to the discretion of the learned Principal District Judge, Kallakurichi to give the copies that the petitioner seeks.

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5.With the above directions, this writ petition stands disposed. No

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costs.

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08.10.2025

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Index:Yes/No Speaking order/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation:Yes/No vs

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3/5

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